23 personal letters received by George Philpot. 22 of them were written by Irene R. [surname unknown], containing personal news, romantic hopes and feelings, and occasionally strife within their long-distance relationship. Irene’s news touches on aspects of her rural social life, the progress of her Normal School studies, news and advice from mutual friends and previous graduates of the Normal School, applying for rural school positions in competition with friends and acquaintances, physical conditions and amenities in one- and two-room rural schools, gender inequities in hiring and salary practices for teachers, the challenges of rural school fairs and timetabling as a multi-grade teacher, interactions with rural school trustees, and the prevalence of gossip about young women and schoolteachers in rural communities. 1 letter is from Betty Smith, who thanks George Philpot for his assistance in securing her a position at the Fuller Brush Company.